What Now?
by ntepAC
Summary: Testing still continues at Aperture, but test subjects are hard to come by, now that she's gone. So, the solution turned into a bigger problem when she returned, and gave a certain moron ideas for freedom. Chelley, rated mature for language. Disc in c. 1
1. Technical Difficulties

_EDIT A/N (AS OF 10/19/11): Alright, so I apologize for the changes in the story, which will begin through chapter 2 and such... Recently I've been RPing, and became a fan of Chelley, and actually used parts of this story (that I had previously written prior to the RP) in the RP. Parts that would be too similar to have two separate stories for, such as the transition from Core!Wheatley to Human!Wheatley... I WILL get a WheaDOS story out there for you all, but right now, I want to work with this story, which will be based on the RP. And I'm sure you'll like it. :D Also a heads up, just finished the RP today, so the whole story's laid out now... I know I've been bad about getting busy/losing motivation to finish a story... And I will get "The Perfect Drug" done eventually, if you're following that Invader Zim ZaDR story at all..._

Summary: This story, previously known as "Life After" will be changed slightly to follow/be based on an RP that was just finished today, will contain Chelley, Human!Wheatley, and will be rather lengthy. Enjoy!

_Technical Difficulties_

"Nothing, nothing, nothing." A computerized voice growled. "No one at all. Must… *fizzle* Test." Red lights flashed through the darkness, a yellow-orange light dimming with each word.

Cameras continued to pan in each and every testing chamber, hallway, and room, everywhere, unable to find any living humans.

"GAH!" The computerized voice called out in rage, the yellow-orange light disappearing briefly. The light returned, and looked up slightly, a series of loud thuds echoing through the thick air. "Ah, just in time." The rage dissipated in the feminine voice as quickly as it came, her voice echoing off the panels that formed the round room. The orange-yellow light turned and followed a tube that began its descent into the room.

"OW! Bloody hell! No! OW!" A round ball came rolling out of the tube, crashing onto the floor.

The orange-yellow optic illuminated the source of the loud yelling and metallic thud, the optic zooming in on the ball.

"Bloody hell… Where am…" A blue optic appeared and spun around dizzily, unable to focus on anything. Eventually the optic calmed, and found the orange optic staring right at it. "Oh no… no no no no… Uh…" With each babble the blue optic dimmed slightly.

A loud click, and a small light suspended from the ceiling dimly lit the room, revealing the metal ball, the dark panels surrounding the room, and a large AI hanging off the ceiling, a disk of sorts receiving the multitude of wires coming off the machine. "Metal ball… Why is it that all of the test subjects are dead?" The optic narrowed in a glare.

The blue optic shrank in fear. "Uh, well you see… Uh… last time Chell saw them, they all looked pretty healthy." The optic looked around the room, hoping that answer would suffice.

"You MORON!" The answer did not. The AI turned away, the optic disappearing from the blue optic's sight.

"I AM NOT A MORON!" The blue optic widened, the lenses closing in a glare where the yellow optic previously was. They relaxed, and the optic relaxed. "Besides, what about those two bots you made? Won't those bloody well work?"

At the sudden defiance, the optic returned. "I NEED human test subjects, you moronic Intelligence Dampening Core!"

"Why can't you call me Wheatley?" Wheatley muttered, his optic unable to shrink any more, although he wished it could.

The orange optic narrowed in sudden thought. "Hmm… I've got an idea…" It disappeared to examine the video feeds from throughout the facility within the AI's computer, the light shutting off, descending the room back to the eerie darkness Wheatly found himself suddenly in.

Wheatley looked around the darkened room that the AI was held in. "Don't you ever feel… trapped, being forced to stay here?"

The optic didn't return when the feminine voice growled, "No."

"Oh." Wheatley nodded somewhat. "Okay. Uh…"

"Don't try to make small talk, metal ball." The AI cut off Wheatley in annoyance.

"Okay…" He continued to examine everything. After a few minutes, the Intelligence Dampening Core grew tired of sitting around. He tried to roll himself around. "Ngh… Ngh!"

The orange optic returned as the AI's head turned slowly towards the source of the grunts. "What. Are. You. Doing?"

Wheatley stopped and stared at the AI. "I'm trying to move."

The AI blinked her optic.

"Erh… GLaDOS, can you put me up on the management rails? Please mate?" Wheatley asked of GLaDOS, hoping that she would listen to him.

"No." GLaDOS shook her head and turned away.

"C'mon mate, why do I have to be stuck on the floor?"

GLaDOS side glanced Wheatley. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really." GLaDOS nodded, a robotic arm extending down and picking up the Intelligence Dampening Core. "You can stay in the corrupted core bin, with the other cores."

"Woah, wait, mate. C'mon… Just… Attach me to the management rails! Please, mate?" Wheatley protested, writhing in the claw's grasp.

GLaDOS thought for a moment. "Maybe later. For now, keep out of my way." The arm disappeared with Wheatley.

"C'mon! NO! NONONONO!" The core protested in dismay.

...

"GLaDOS! C'mon! Please, mate?" Wheatley continued to protest as he sat in the bin with the other corrupted cores. "C'mon! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I was mean, and bossy, and nasty! Just… PLEASE?" He paused, waiting to see if the AI responded to the apology he originally intended for Chell. "I am genuinely sorry!" He paused again. When GLaDOS didn't respond, he sighed and rolled his optic around, taking in his new surroundings.

"She stick you in here too bud?" A green light appeared, dimming with each word.

Wheatley jumped at the sudden voice, his optic turning to meet a green optic. "Oh it's you."

"What, it could've been that core who talked about space all the dern time." The green optic seemed to fluctuate with the words the core said.

"Fact, space does not exist." A pink optic appeared.

"I was JUST in space. It does too exist. It's huge, and cold… and lonely." Wheatley's optic narrowed at the other core. "Anyway, yes, Rick. You're right."

"I'm right, because I'm the Adventure core." Rick said, his optic seeming to smile.

"Fact, adventure is actually quite dull." The pink optic growled, rolling around.

"Oh would you bloody shut up?" Wheatley growled.

"Fact, I am the Fact Core. It is my job to state facts. So I am incapable of 'shutting up'." The Fact core seemed to smirk.

Wheatley rolled his optic. "Anyway… I need out of this stupid bin!" His optic rolled around in observation. "Bloody hell, why does she keep everything so dark? I'll need my flashlight…"

"Fact, you will die if you turn on your flashlight."

"Fact, no I won't." Wheatley mocked Fact Core, turning on his flashlight.

Rick and the Fact core both gasped, yelling and watching to see if Wheatley actually did die. When Wheatley was okay, Rick sighed and Fact Core growled. "F-f-f-f… Fact. Flashlights were originally used to absorb energy from the sun."

"Bloody hell? Where'd you get_ that_ _fact_ from?" Wheatley narrowed his optic at Fact core.

"From my FACTS within my memory database." Fact core gloated.

Wheatley sighed. "Oh, whatever. Rick, can you launch me out of here by any chance mate?" Wheatley noticed that he was on top of one of Rick's handles.

"Cow-a-bunga!" Rick flinched, launching the Intelligence Dampening Core into the air.

"WOAH! BLOODY FUCKING HELL!" Wheatley yelled as he flung into the air, eventually landing on the floor with a loud thud. "Ow… Fuck…"

"Hey, bud, you okay?" Rick called from the bin.

"I'm okay. Uh… Did NOT think this through." Wheatley tried to move around, but he remained stationary. "Bloody hell…"

"I told you that you could _stay_ in the Corrupted Bin." GLaDOS said over the intercom.

Wheatley's optic shrank to a pinpoint. "Oh, bloody hell, GLaDOS, you scared me! Mate, can you help me up? Please?"

"No." GLaDOS growled.

"Aw, c'mon."

The intercom remained silent.

"Fuck." Wheatley growled, his optic having returned to normal. "Erh… Any ideas from anyone in the bin, anyone?"

"Mmm… nope. Sorry bud." Rick said.

"Fact. You are stuck."

Wheatley sighed. "Thanks, Capitan Obvious."


	2. Search

_So… Some of the story will be a bit… warped? I dunno – I haven't played the Co-op portion of Portal 2 yet, so I can't really have much of Atlas and P-Body in the story. SPOILER ALERT: So, that means that Atlas and P-Body do not find the humans. And that the humans actually are [REDACTED]._

_I do not own Portal. Or an Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device. Or anything listed within the text of these chapters. Except for the chapters themselves. This statement is false._

_**Life After**_

_Search and… Deploy?_

"Ngh… Almost… There…" The world spun around quickly, then stopped, then spun again. "Bloody… C'mon…" The corridor ended as a thud hit a wall. "Ouch." The world quit spinning as the blue optic began looking around. "Almost there." Wheatley's flashlight illuminated the area around him. "Okay. Upmh… Ngh…" He began jerking, trying to turn to his right. "Oph… Come on…" When facing the direction he wanted to face, he sighed, and the world began spinning again. Suddenly it stopped. "Ow, what the?" He realized he had flipped himself onto his handles. "Oh. Great." He tried to flip himself off, but it wouldn't do. "Okay… I'll…" He began thrusting again, actually moving again. "Okay, good. Uh…"

"Yes… That's what I'll do." Echoed from the lair at the end of the hallway.

"What's that?" Wheatley called from the hallway, able to see GLaDOS's shadow again.

"My idea." GLaDOS nonchalantly replied.

"Oh, okay. Uh… Can you put me up on the management rails now?" Wheatley asked, his flashlight shining on GLaDOS. He continued moving slowly towards GLaDOS's lair.

"No." She shook her head, not looking at Wheatley.

Wheatley sighed and watched GLaDOS as she appeared to be searching for something.

"None of them are… Alive… But…" Her optic dashed around, nearly spinning, as she examined everywhere through the remaining cameras in the facility. "Hm… That's odd. There aren't any cameras in there."

Wheatley's optic turned slightly in confusion. He "shrugged" it off, and began thrusting himself in the direction of GLaDOS again, this time trying to be silent about it.

"What do you want, metal ball?" GLaDOS had indeed heard him trying to move.

"Uh… N-nothing. Just… yeah. Trying to get… uh…" He finally managed to get into the lair, and stopped for a moment.

GLaDOS shook her head, rolling her optic. She resumed trying to figure out what was beyond the hatch she saw in her cameras. "What's in here?" She said in a slight sing-song voice. "Hmm…"

"What's in where?" Wheatley inched closer, his curiosity overtaking him.

"I didn't ask you, Wheatley." GLaDOS growled. "I didn't even mention you." Her optic shined on Wheatley, although his flashlight diluted the yellow glow. "And turn off your flashlight."

Wheatley gasped, obeying. "That's the _first_ time you've ever called me by my name, mate!" He seemed to smile, though he lacked the facial features to do so.

"Glad you noticed. I'll make sure that was the _last_ time also." GLaDOS's optic narrowed in annoyance, the yellow glow reflecting off of Wheatley's shell.

"Oh…" He lowered his optic to the floor.

GLaDOS sighed and extended a claw, picking up Wheatley.

"Woah, mate, what are you doing?" Wheatley's optic flailed around, trying to figure out why she was picking him up.

"This time, if you disengage yourself from the management rail, you _will_ die." GLaDOS attached Wheatley to the nearby management rail. "Because _I_ will kill you." Her claw disappeared as she turned away, still trying to figure out the mystery behind the huge metal hatch.

Wheatley looked around quickly. "Great, yeah. Okay. What about my flashlight?" He asked, curious if he would die at her hand if he used his flashlight.

"Go…" GLaDOS growled, not interested in any further conversation with the moron.

"Going, gone! Thank you GLaDOS!" Wheatley sped down the management rail, out of her lair. "Woooho! About bloody time! Yeah! SO… Now what?" He stopped, looking around.

"Hey, how'd you get up there?"

Wheatley looked down at the green optic. He happened to stop near the corrupted core bin. "Oh, hey mate. She put me back up here."

"How'd you get her to do that? How'd you even get near her?" Rick continued to ask questions.

"Fact. GLaDOS is a bitch." Fact Core growled, simulated jealousy turning his optic a darker pink.

"W-wha? No she's not!" Wheatley growled in protest. "She's… Misunderstood. That's all."

Fact core rolled his optic. "Your situation is irrelevant."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Wheatley asked.

"The likelihood of GLaDOS caring is 1.3 percent." Fact Core turned away from Wheatley.

"What's up with 'im?" Wheatley asked Rick.

"I dunno." Rick shook his optic.

"Oh well. I'm going to see if I can find any living humans here, GLaDOS said something about needing humans for the testing." Wheatley didn't give Rick any time to respond as he sped down the management rail, beginning his search among the dead.

...

"Hmm…" GLaDOS stared at the door through a security camera, as if she wanted to will it open. She then turned her attention to one of the test chambers, where two robots were clambering around inside. "I could send those two… No. Then they'll become more human… than they already are." She watched as the aforementioned robots performed a 'high-five', both celebrating in their minor victory. "And I still have yet to punish Wheatley… That… Moron." She growled, then stopped herself. "Oh dear. I lied. I did call him by name again." She chuckled. "Oh well, what he doesn't hear won't hurt him. Where is he anyway…" Her vision shifted to various cameras, observing the moron speeding along the management rails.

"_There's got to be at least one somewhere!"_ Wheatley growled to himself as he sped along.

"What on Earth is he looking for?" She continued to watch him, ignoring the Cooperative Testing Initiative Robots dancing around in the camera.

"_About bloody time! Here we… Oh, no… He's dead too." _The core shook in disapproval, then sped along.

"He's looking for a human? Why on Earth…" She paused after growling to herself. "What are you looking for, metal ball?" GLaDOS growled, audible.

Wheatley stopped in his tracks on the camera, and looked around. _"Uh… H-hey mate."_ He spotted a camera and came up to it. _"How's your plan working out?"_

"What plan?" GLaDOS asked, intrigued.

"_Erh… I don't know. You wouldn't tell me."_ Wheatley looked around, then back at the camera.

"What are you looking for?"

"_A human."_

"Why? What need do you have with a human?" GLaDOS asked, irritated now.

"_Well, you said you needed human test subjects, and you haven't had any luck yet finding one, so I thought, 'Why not help Gladdy?'" _The core froze, blinking. _"Erh… GLaDOS. That… That just slipped out…"_

GLaDOS made the camera shake back and forth, as if she was shaking her own head, showing Wheatley that she wasn't amused. "What personal gain do you expect from finding a human for me?"

"_P-personal gain? What? Nonsense! No, this is… All for science!" _Wheatley blubbered, trying to avoid digging himself into a deeper hole.

"Right." GLaDOS nodded, the camera physically nodding also. "All for science." She began to turn from the feed, when she had, as Wheatley liked to call them, a brain wave. "W-Metal ball."

"_You almost cal-"_ Wheatley started.

"Shut up. I need you to go to the location of this hatch." She allowed the camera feed from the outside of the hatch to be seen by Wheatley. "Go there, open it, and find out what's inside."

Wheatley stared at the feed for a moment, then tried to move the camera around. _"Arg… Why can't I move the camera?"_

"I didn't give you permission to move the camera. Only to see through it, moron." GLaDOS discontinued the feed.

"_Okay, mate."_ Wheatley nodded eagerly, then began speeding along the rails.

GLaDOS sighed. "It's the other way."

"_Oh, right!"_ He stopped and began in the other direction.

"I wonder how many humans are in that chamber…" GLaDOS muttered, only audible in the room she was in. "Oh, and, metal ball, you can choose which human you think should be brought for testing, if you find any in there. Make sure he's the one you like the best, because you and he will be spending a lot of time together." GLaDOS said aloud for Wheatley to hear, then chuckled to herself. "And I now have my punishment for that moron… And my human test subject."


End file.
